Northwestern University revokes Bill Cosby's honourary degree

Evanston — Northwestern University has revoked the honourary degree it awarded Bill Cosby two decades ago —the first time the school has taken such a step in its 167-year history.

In a news release, the school in the Chicago suburb of Evanston announced its board of trustees discussed revoking the honourary degree it awarded to the comedian in 1997 during his trial on sex assault charges. The board decided to wait until the end of the trial before making a decision.

The unanimous vote to revoke Cosby's Honuorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree came during the board's first meeting since Cosby was convicted in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and assaulting a woman at his Philadelphia home in 2004.

Cosby is scheduled to be sentenced in September.